PURPOSE: The skywarn program was established to provide Amateur Radio communications in support of the National Weather Service office located in Upton, New York, prior to and during severe weather that will affect Fairfield County, Connecticut. OBJECTIVES OF SKYWARN The objective of Skywarn is to provide weather information to the National Weather Service and to OEM, by recruiting trained amateur radio operators (Storm Spotter Training by the NWS) to provide serve weather spotting and reporting. ORGANIZATION The SKYWARN program shall be administered by the Radio Amateur Emergency Service (RACES) and the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) and the National Weather Service (NWS) office. MEMBERSHIP: Any amateur radio operator licensed by the FCC with a valid license who wishes to contribute to the safety of the residents of Fairfield County, Connecticut, may be a member in SKYWARN. SKYWARN membership is strictly voluntary and has no club affiliation. No member shall be expected to participate beyond the scope agreed upon when joining the spotter program, nor shall any member be required or expected to function in any activity for which they feel not trained or qualified. Membership, however implies a willingness to put forth effort when it becomes necessary and to participate in the required training. REPEATER USE: The primary repeater used for SKYWARN will be the 442.750 MHz, PL-103.5, KD1R/R located in downtown Fairfield, Connecticut, during the net this will be linked with the 147.390 MHz K1OF/R located in Norwalk as well as the 53.59 KD1R/R in Bridgeport, PL- 82.5 West 100.0 East. Skywarn Nets for Northern Fairfield County will be held on 146.670/R (PL- 100.0). In the event that a major power failure occurs knocking out all commercial power, we will use 146.535 MHz, simplex. During activation of the Skywarn Net, all normal radio traffic on the 442.750 or 147.390 MHz repeater's shall cease, unless otherwise directed by net control and only necessary information shall be passed during SKYWARN activation.

AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICE (ARES) Amateur Radio Emergency Service Is a arm of the American Radio Relay League. It is a organization of amateur radio operators who volunteer their time, equipment, expertise and themselves to serve their communities. When activated they help by providing emergency communications for Emergency Management Agencies, National Weather Service and disaster relief organizations like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. CT. New London (ARES)

Connecticut Phone Net (CPN) M-SA 1800, Su. 1000, 3.965 MHz. N1DIO NM 
Connecticut Net (CN) 1900, 3.640 MHZ., daily; N1AEH NM 
Western CT Traffic Net (WESCONN) 2030, 147.18/R, daily; KA1GWE NM 
Eastern CT Traffic Net (ECTN) 2100, 146.73/R, daily; KA1RMV acting for WA4QXT NM 
Nutmeg VHF Traffic Net (NVTN) 2130, 147.15/R, daily; KB1CTC NM

RADIO AMATEUR CIVIL EMERGENCY SERVICE (RACES) Founded in 1952, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES) is a public Service that provides a reserve communications group within government agencies in times of extraordinary need. During activation, RACES personnel are called upon to perform many tasks for the government agencies they serve. RACES manual, Guidance For Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, is available on the FEMA web site. RACES operations involve message handling on Amateur Radio Service frequencies. These operations typically involve messages between critical locations such as hospitals, emergency operators and any other locations where communications is needed.

These communications are handled in any mode available with 2- meters being most prevalent. RACES personal are also involved with and may not involve amateur radio communications. RACES communications may become involved in public safety or other government communications. Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) MARS is a Department Of Defense sponsored program, established as a separately managed and operated program by the Army, Navy, and the Air Force. The program consists of licensed amateur radio operators who are interested in military communications on a local, national and international basis. Mars has a long history of providing world-wide auxiliary emergency communications during times of need. A volunteer force of over five thousand dedicated and skilled Amateur radio operators provide communications for military, civil and/or disaster during periods of emergency. They assist in effecting normal communications under emergency conditions. MARS is a official Department Of Defense and Department of the army sponsors communications systems. This means it has official status, it has assigned missions and functions and authorized the use of assigned military radio frequencies. Army MARS is directions and managed by the department of the army through the United States Signal Command and is a world-wide organization. It is comprised of both military and civilian personal.

The organization of spotters and the distribution of warning information may lies with the National Weather Service or  with an emergency management agency within the community. This agency could be a police or fire department, or often is an emergency management/service group (what people might still think of as civil defense groups). This varies across the country however, with local national weather service offices taking the lead in some locations, while emergency management takes the lead in other areas.

SKYWARN is not a club or organization, however, in some areas where Emergency Management programs do not perform the function, people have organized SKYWARN groups that work independent of a parent government agency and feed valuable information to the National Weather Service. While this provides the radar meteorologist with much needed input, the circuit is not complete if the information does not reach those who can activate sirens or local broadcast systems.

SKYWARN spotters are not by definition "Storm Chasers". While their functions and methods are similar, the spotter stays close to home and usually has ties to a local agency. Storm chasers often cover hundreds of miles a day. The term Storm Chaser covers a wide variety of people. Some are meteorologists doing specific research or are gathering basic information (like video) for training and comparison to radar data. Others chase storms to provide live information for the media, and others simply do it for the thrill.

Storm Spotting and Storm Chasing is dangerous and should not be done without proper training, experience and equipment.

The National Weather Service conducts spotter training classes across the United States, and your local National Weather Service office should be consulted as to when the next class will be held.      Contact Phil KA1YIQ For More Information
                                                                                                               

Note:   The 146.64 Waltham Repeater is also used as a RACES primary. Past 

        situations have indicated that RACES & SKYWARN have shared the

        frequency or worked out a plan for RACES to utilize the MMRA,

        Minuteman Repeater Association linked repeater system as needed. 

73,Rob-KD1CY.

ARES SKYWARN Coordinator for NWS Taunton